Scott Salandi, Director of Surety at Patriot Risk and Insurance Services, recently celebrated 30 years in the construction industry. While construction wasn’t his initial goal when he began his career in 1992, he’s glad he found himself in the field.
“Everything’s a little different every day,” he says, “And it's kept my personal and professional life exciting and interesting. It makes me excited to come back the next day.”
It is this diversity of opportunities that drew him to CFMA not long after he began his career. As a long-time member and former President of the Orange County Chapter, he has had a front row seat to the valuable resources the organization has to offer.
Leaving a Legacy in the Industry
In June of 1992, Scott was a young professional recently out of college. It was then that he used his International Business degree to secure a position as an Assistant Account Executive for Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.
“I started in the construction insurance department, and within four months, there was an opportunity in the construction surety department. I was more interested in the financial and analytical risk management side of the construction business,” he explains.
The lateral move to pursue surety gave Scott an appreciation for how impactful the construction industry can be in the future.
During his tenure, Scott has held a number of different roles from underwriting and brokering to working on complex national construction accounts and international markets—but he has always been deeply entrenched in the construction industry. “If it’s construction related, I’ve probably seen it four, five, or six times,” he says.
Just a few years after relocating to Orange County, he became a CFMA member, and eventually came to serve on the golf committee, where he built stronger relationships with other professionals and got to know the board members.
“We make some really great friends and professional relationships,” he says, “And if we're able to parlay that strong personal connection into a business relationship, then that's ultimately a win-win for everybody.”
Lifelong Learning
Although Scott originally joined the chapter for the networking opportunities, he admits that the professional education CFMA offers is by far one of the most valuable benefits of which members have access.
“The association really gives you the resources and the touchpoints to do your job better with more confidence,” he says. “To get this kind of collective consultative guidance is quite valuable—I’ve heard of other customers paying thousands of dollars to consultants who have really big brains and go to expensive graduate schools, but don’t have any real world construction experience to speak of.”
Through the professional education gleaned from CFMA learning events, Scott has been able to pass along specialized guidance to his clients, helping them succeed in their businesses. “I’ve had clients say ‘You know, you need to charge me for this,’ and I say, ‘No, it’s free of charge for being my client because ultimately, you’ll be a better business as a result of engaging me as a broker.”
CFMA Orange County offers learning events on a multitude of topics such as human resources, taxes, changes and updates in the industry, and more. However, Scott points out that technology is a major topic of discussion in the construction industry, and one that can save workers a lot of time and effort.
“Technology does alleviate a lot of the human error that is in construction. You know, the double entry of billings or job costs, and I think those that embrace it can see the benefit,” he explains, “But many people in the industry just haven’t had the extra bandwidth to automate systems and learn new technologies, which is where the CFMA learning events can be so beneficial. We know your business, we understand your business. And if you’re willing to take some suggestions and recommendations, CFMA can really help you,” Scott explains.
To explore upcoming learning events, view our calendar.
Learn more about how CFMA membership can benefit you.